Here's a smattering of recent construction progress photos of KRESA's 160,000-SF Career Connect Center, taken over the past month or so, from various sources. The complex features a dynamic central hub and some mass timber construction - it is expected to open soon -
"Rose Place" (530 S Rose) wrapped up last month and is now occupied. 82,300 SF / 5 stories / 64 units of senior living apartments, with off-street parking and a central "courtyard" -which I find a bit awkward, but surely functional for additional light and fresh air. The complex appears fairly out of context with its surroundings - mostly detached single-family homes of early 1900's vintage. But I think (hope) as some of the surrounding lots fill in, it will become better-looking infill -
The heart and soul of a repurposed building in downtown Battle Creek will be the organizations that inhabit it and community residents who take advantage of the opportunities awaiting them when they walk through its doors. That building, known as the Battle Creek Innovation Hub (BCIH), will be occupied by Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) which owns it, and Grand Valley State University (GVSU). It formerly housed Western Michigan University’s Kendall Center... expected to be open and operational in September... the establishment of the Innovation Hub will more than quadruple GVSU’s physical footprint in Battle Creek...
...Located at 50 W. Jackson Street, the majority of the three-story, 31,169-square-foot BCIH building will be occupied by BCU. GVSU will use about 11,000 square feet of renovated space split between the first and second floors...
Kalamazoo hotels approve funding assessment for $40M sports facility
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According to Discover Kalamazoo, the organization behind the project, 82% of the votes cast were in favor of the project. In addition to approving the assessment, the hotels have also approved the creation of the Kalamazoo County Event Center Assessment District, which they are now in.
Starting June 1, all hotels in the county with 35 rooms or more will begin to collect the 4% assessment on visitor stays of less than 30 days.
Developer plans 5-story apartment complex near Kalamazoo’s Bronson hospital
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Kalamazoo-based real estate developer Jamauri Bogan wants to bring 80 affordable apartments to the Vine neighborhood.
The shuttered Foodmaxx liquor store and five nearby homes on Burdick and Vine streets would be demolished to make way for a five-story building, Bogan said.
B on Burdick, as Bogan calls it, would offer studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments to people who earn 60% to 120% of the Area Median Income. That’s between $54,480 and $108,960 a year for a family of three, per the county’s website. Its first floor will offer 15,000 square feet for a child care center, city documents state.
Kitty-corner to Bronson‘s downtown Kalamazoo hospital, B on Burdick would help meet the needs of the city’s essential workforce, per city documents.
^^ Ah, you beat me to it! I am all for this. That is such an underutilized corner, and Jamauri will actually get it done, unlike some developers that just sit on their parcels forever.
New ‘village’ will transform 48 woodland acres into neighborhood with 444 housing units
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Plans are underway to build a new “village” with over 400 units of housing in Oshtemo Township.
A development group is planning to build “West Main Village,” a mixed-use development with 444 units of housing and spaces for commercial buildings on West Main Street.
Five parcels of land, about 48 acres, were rezoned to a “mixed-use development” at a Tuesday, May 27, Oshtemo Township board meeting to allow the project to advance.
Kalamazoo redevelopment project seeks to transform old county courthouse into hotel
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hree major sites in downtown Kalamazoo could soon be the focus of a huge transformation project.
PlazaCorp is leading an investment for the project, worth more than $100 million, hoping to transform underused properties into vibrant spaces as presented to Kalamazoo city commissioners during a meeting Monday night.
“This project preserves the architectural and historic identity of our downtown, investing in buildings and people that tell Kalamazoo’s story,” Trisha Kidd, director of project management for PlazaCorp, said.
The structures being repurposed include the Spearflex office building, which will be turned into 57 residential units, and a rundown factory on 619 Porter Street, which will be a mix of commercial and residential use.
New buildings are under construction at Kalamazoo College’s campus.
The college broke ground on two new dorms at the corner of Catherine Street and West Main Street on Thursday, June 12. The residence halls will be the first built on the campus since 1967.
The campus needs more affordable housing as the cost of off-campus housing in Kalamazoo continues to increase, a press release announcing the project said.
New Arcadia Creek plans include amphitheater, playground, multi-use building
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New plans for Arcadia Creek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo include a playground, multiple stages, water features and a multi-purpose building.
Updated features will make it easier and less expensive to host an event in the park, Deputy City Manager Rebekah Kik said during a presentation on the plan during a Monday, July 7 commission meeting.
I hadn't heard of the Larry J Bell museum. Here's what I found:
"house his collection of Michigan history books, jazz artifacts and historic brewery industry memorabilia."
Probably mostly a tax write-off for his foundation, but it could be a pretty neat little museum. Hopefully free to the public.
I hadn't heard of the Larry J Bell museum. Here's what I found:
"house his collection of Michigan history books, jazz artifacts and historic brewery industry memorabilia."
Probably mostly a tax write-off for his foundation, but it could be a pretty neat little museum. Hopefully free to the public.
It's been a while since I read anything about it. I thought it would not be open to the general public (by appointment only). I really hope this isn't the case though, because that area of downtown could use some new energy / a new public point of interest to help activate it.
Allow me to dust my keyboard off for a photo update of some of the projects around town.
1. Event Center - cores are rising, and as of last week, steel is being slung -
2. Nearby, the Lofts at Ironworks -
3. Foundations are underway at the new dorm at K-College. I have never seen a construction site with so much clay - the entire site is a mud pit. Granted, it rained hard last night, but I've never seen this site without standing water -
4. East of downtown, River's Edge has really changed the feel along this stretch of Gull Rd. -
6. Also in Edison - the downsized Boys & Girls Club -
7. Nearby, a newly-painted street mural at Washington Square (Portage St. / Washington Ave. intersection) -
I forgot to swing by WMU to see the progress on their new dorm. I've heard it is pretty far along already. I will hit that site and some others, later.
Construction has begun on a state-of-the-art residence hall in Goldsworth Valley set to open in fall 2026. Designed with first-year students in mind, the Golden Oaks will house more than 1,000 students in modern, pod-style rooms featuring common spaces that foster connection and community...
..The project is Western’s first large-scale design-build effort and its first major use of mass timber construction, a sustainable building method using engineered wood for the structure and floors. Not only does this reduce the building's carbon footprint, but it also allows for quicker construction because, as the interior timber elements are being prefabricated ahead of site completion.
The residence hall, designed by Hanbury and built by the Chrisman Company, will see work on the structure and enclosure begin in mid-2025.
20 years on from the start of Kalamazoo promise the city has become one of the nicest in the state and a model for other communities. It’s not possible to speak about the city’s success without giving a nod to the economic engine behind its growth WMU. Investment in education along with innovative city planning, the daylighting of Arcadia Creek creating a warm vibrant focal point for downtown has been lauded as it should be.
Thanks for keeping up with K-Zoo development for those of us who aren’t within easy reach of the city. Google Earth isn’t a substitute for an engaged member of the community putting boots to the ground with a camera in hand. I really dig the new Arcadia Creek plans the new amphitheater along with pedestrian improvements better melding the park into downtown creates a cool campus like vibe for the central district.
__________________
The border between democracy and authoritarianism is the least protected border in the world. - Ivan Krastev
20 years on from the start of Kalamazoo promise the city has become one of the nicest in the state and a model for other communities. It’s not possible to speak about the city’s success without giving a nod to the economic engine behind its growth WMU. Investment in education along with innovative city planning, the daylighting of Arcadia Creek creating a warm vibrant focal point for downtown has been lauded as it should be.
Thanks for keeping up with K-Zoo development for those of us who aren’t within easy reach of the city. Google Earth isn’t a substitute for an engaged member of the community putting boots to the ground with a camera in hand. I really dig the new Arcadia Creek plans the new amphitheater along with pedestrian improvements better melding the park into downtown creates a cool campus like vibe for the central district.
I've been jokingly telling people lately that Kalamazoo's new motto should be "The City That Tries". There are many opinions about what planners and developers are doing, but nobody can deny that things are happening. Everything is incredibly nuanced; the downtown mall can feel desolate at times, bustling at others. The endless roadwork and experimentation with bike lanes will drive some people nuts, but already, there are signs that these changes are making the pedestrian experience more enjoyable. The construction of new housing has increased from a trickle to a steady stream; new artwork is popping up all over. The new form-based codes are a vast step forward. The local universities are building, and plenty of jobs seem to be available; including manufacturing. But homelessness is also way up, and people question why there is a $600M arena being built when we can't solve the challenge of families living in the local parks. We still have disproportionate crime and poverty numbers.
Ten years living here now; and the city continues to feel simultaneously very big and very small to me. But it remains home, because it is a city not afraid to innovate in the face of challenges.
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